car alarm 2.0 (bongo version)

[lez]

As some of you know, I like to fiddle..........

I take part in other forums/groups that are based around integration
of computers/electronics into cars.

During all this over the last few years I have added a few extra
gadgets to the car, although the current one is very standard.

About 4 years ago I bought an alarm off eBay that came with a LCD
remote, if anyone triggered the alarm, it sent a signal to the remote
so you could run outside with a bat, err, I mean investigate the cause
of the alarm.

The range of this in open air was quite good, but if I went into a
large supermarket/store it was useless.

That made me think I needed a better range, and the best way I could
see was to use a mobile phone, the alarm should call me or send me a
message, or both.

With this in mind I started to design an alarm that could be used with
the normal alarm remote as already on the car, so it works as an
extended range plipper, but with the ability to also call me if
triggered.(It does not need an existing alarm, but does need central locking.)



This may not seem useful, but the extra range does have uses, have you
ever left the car only think when you are quite a distance away, say
shopping, or up the 5th floor, 'did I lock the car' now you can, you
can send a text/sms message that simply says 'alarm door lock'

It only accepts commands from your phone, or ones you have told it are
trusted, up-to 5, one master, one slave, 3 peasant

It only works with one brand of phone, but I designed it to be a cost
effective solution, so works with Ericsson T series phones, T68, T68i,
T610 etc, you don't need an expensive phone for this, eBay is your
friend.

I have mixed (mostly american) results abut his, and its always the same stupid
response, I don't want to have to buy a phone........

Then you pose the question, if it didn't need a phone because I built
in a gsm block and it then cost $40 more would that be ok and they say
yes..........

So paying $60 is better than paying $20+ an old phone you may already
have.......

And the 'old phone' would be in the car in case you broke down without
your phone or your own battery went dead.......

Ahh but....

Logic?

I think I designed it the best way, even if it means finding an old
phone........







So far I have got to the stage where its working on 'the bench' and
also have tested it now in the car.

Currently working are lock/unlock arm/disarm / silent mode / flash lights
It will connect to standard 'of the shelf' alarm sensors as sold as
addons for other alarms, IE ultrasonic detectors, perimeter microwave,
knock/vibration

When I finish, estimating Xmas, I will be making a few for others,
effectively I'm taking orders, reason is I can build my own the simple
way, but if I am making more than 4 or 5 then I need to order the
boards from a PCB prefab company, no point me ordering 50 pcbs and
only 2 people wanting one.........

3 groups of people are chosen for this, XM drivers (My favourite car),
Bongo drivers(got to be the most useful minivan in the world), and
people I have got to know on the car-computer groups.

Different versions are planned, but are all on the same unit.

Simple shed/garage alarm etc great if you have a lockup away from
where you live.

Simple motorcycle

Simple car (xm etc)

Complicated with extra features (cars with full Pc)


This is a non profit project at the minute, its what I want in my car,
but it will obviously fit others and work just as well, the parts are
cheap. $20 gets most of it new and rest from other sources, IE relays,
well which car owner does not have a few spare......

I see 3 ways to do it and _will_ do all 3,

1) just publish the design (I have a public blog, thread, and a new full
website coming just for this)
2) take orders for the pcbs and place a 'bulk order' so people can kit build
3) use some the bulk order pcb to build full units, and charge for the
bits(at cost) plus a bottle of vodka (have I ever posted I like vodka)

Like I said its non profit, I don't think the vodka is profit, if you
had a painter doing the outside of your house, would you not give him
a warm drink? well I have a warm house I like a cold drink.......

I cant put a price on it as the order numbered will affect the price,
so I have posted this in different groups to increase the numbers to
bring the cost down.

I wont want any money until I have a finished the first 5 hand built
ones and sent them out for extensive testing, and so people can report
back in the group if its a worker or a dead duck of a design.

BUT the showing of interest time is now, this offer is for the worthy
adventurous ones, when I get all the pre-orders out, I will be SELLING
this alarm at market value, I suggest you look at what such an alarms
market value is.

Like I said I am asking for no money now, I'm looking for peole who want one cheap when the time comes, and can give some feedback so I can improve the design.


I take it mike you'd be prepared to bolt one over your existing alarm and give it a try?

Your very near to me so makes things easy. (you are reading this arnt you?) (I must show you the old mk1 prototype working, you missed it when I took it round to chris's one nght, admittedly it was only working on a coffee table but it made all the right responses.)


Unit is usual cigarette packet sized, (IE about 4*6*2)
Connections so far are 2 wires to indicators, two wires to lock
system, 3 wires for power.

(Provide your own insulation tape........)

Anyone with an interest let me know BY EMAIL and I'll make a list to
get some idea's of numbers.

An idea of the early stages is here, sorry I don't have up-to date
photo's of how it looks now, and this is not the finished design, its
the prototype and it has lots of extra space for parts as I also intend to
re-use it for prototyping other toys later

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tinabriddon/bday/





If you are a moderator of this group and you think this post is to
trawl for commercial business or to try to 'extract' or 'scam' money
from your members than please feel free to delete this post, but I
have only posted this on groups where I am 'known' to other members
on a personal level so they can verify that I do exist under the name
I have posted under etc and that I have been going on about this alarm
for a while, and its now nearing completion. (started 2 years ago
actually, I'm such a fast worker...)






--

Lez

[dreamwarrioruk]

yup sorted lez.
will try to come down on monday night to chris n lisas if not ill catch up with u one night. have you had any luck stripping down turbo then

[lez]

Thanks for coming to have a look mike, I know at the moment its got no 'wow' factor and still looks a bit like a true work in progress, but its a work in progress...........


At least you got to lock the imaginary doors....

Hopefully next week (monday), I should have prototype number one fitted in the car for a better test.